[Event "Limburg Open 2025"] [Site "?"] [Date "2025.06.10"] [Round "7"] [White "Meulmeester, Luuk"] [Black "Thijssen, Freek"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "JG"] [ECO "E17"] [WhiteElo "1989"] [BlackElo "2122"] [PlyCount "63"] [GameId "2187296730157141"] [EventDate "2025.??.??"] {After a draw against the Dutch U14 Champion of 2024 Luuk followed it up with a win against this year's runner up. Clearly he likes to play against children more than certain other players!} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nbd2 b6 8. b3 Bb7 9. Bb2 c5 10. e3 Rc8 11. Rc1 dxc4 {Always the question who blinks first and releases the tension. Black should have no issues in this position though his bishop on e7 is more passive than the white counterpart of g2.} 12. Nxc4 cxd4 13. Qxd4 (13. Nxd4 Bxg2 14. Kxg2 Nc5 15. f3 $5 $146 (15. Qf3 Nd3 16. Nc6 Rxc6 17. Qxc6 Nxc1 18. Rxc1 Qd5+ 19. Qxd5 Nxd5 {1-0 Praggnanandhaa,R (2608)-Shuvalova,P (2476) Baer Polgar Challenge chess24.com INT rapid 2021 (12)}) 15... Nd5 16. Qe2 Qc7 17. Rfd1 $14 {is the clear preference of the engine.}) 13... Bc5 14. Qh4 Nd5 15. Qxd8 Rfxd8 $11 16. Rfd1 N7f6 $6 {Allowing white to access the e5 square with his knight. Even though the engine still gives hardly any advantage it is the start of some problems for black.} (16... Bf8 $142 17. Nd4 Nc5 18. Ne5 f6 19. Nc4 Nc7 $11) 17. Nfe5 Kf8 18. Nd3 Be7 19. Nce5 Nd7 $4 {Even kids make one move blunders after 6 gruelling rounds over 4 days. After Ne8 white does not have much. Now Luuk instantly pounces.} (19... Ne8 20. Nc4 Nd6 21. Nxd6 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 Bxd6 23. Ne5 f6 24. Nc4 Be7 25. h4 $11) 20. Rxc8 $1 Bxc8 21. Nc6 {Ironically it is the chronically weak square c6 that decides the game in this Catalan game as well even though it should not be weak in this line!} Re8 22. Nxa7 (22. e4 $1 Nc7 23. Nxe7 Kxe7 (23... Rxe7 24. Ba3 $18) 24. Ba3+ Kf6 25. Rc1 Nb5 26. e5+ Kg6 27. Bb2 a5 (27... f6 28. a4 $18) 28. a4 Na7 29. Be4+ Kh6 30. Rc7 $18 {Simply winning a pawn is critized by Stockfish since e4! was even more winning. Who cares.}) 22... Bb7 23. Nb5 Rc8 24. Rc1 Ra8 25. a4 Ba6 $2 {And another blunder to end things more quickly.} (25... Nc5 26. Nxc5 bxc5 27. Ba3 $18 {white still has to demonstrate some technique.}) 26. Bxd5 $1 exd5 27. Nc7 Bxd3 (27... Ra7 28. Nxa6 Rxa6 29. Rc8+ Bd8 30. Rxd8+ {the backrank costs black material regardless.}) 28. Nxa8 Bc5 29. a5 bxa5 30. Rxc5 Nxc5 31. Ba3 Ke8 32. Bxc5 {Clinical finish after a solid game.} 1-0